My Undivided Attention
by Zergface
Summary: When the four Goddesses get swamped by their own inner struggles, it takes more than a cup of pudding to pull each of them out. What would you do with an emotional deity on your doorstep?
1. Chapter 1

**Foreword:** ** _TL;DR:_ _Once was a collab, now solo..._**

 **This story started out as a collaborative writing piece between me and HDNftw, who for reasons I decline to procure, has, in the kindest possible words, stepped down from this way of life.**

 **We reached a consensus, and I will now be pushing forwards alone unless further actions are taken. The first two chapters are untouched as to preserve them for posterity.**

 **I truly hope you enjoy the story!**

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 **|~|~| Noire |~|~|**

" _Noire has no friends! She's a loner! The Loner CPU of Gamindustri!"_ Neptune's excruciatingly loud and obnoxious voice rings throughout my head as I sit myself down in my office, where before me lies a towering pile of unfinished papers. Even though it was still early in the morning, it felt as if long, dragging hours had already passed by. _How many days has it been since I've had to deal with all of these goddamn papers?_ I think to myself as I begin to initiate my daily routine of filing and filling papers, the long and tedious task never growing shorter, no matter how long I work.

Uni, my younger sister, peeks her head into the room, arriving at her designated time to pick up her share of work, which, fortunately for me and unfortunately for her, has been increasing within these past few weeks. Walking over to my desk, I nod towards the stack of papers that were set out for Uni, who, without a word, picks it up before dismissing herself from the room.

Just as she was about to leave the room, she turns around and gives me a reassuring smile. "Don't let this stuff get to you, okay? I can take as much work as you need me to, Onee-chan!"

"Thanks, Uni." I return the smile, yet it was only half-directed towards her, half directed towards something else in which I had no particular recipient in mind. Watching her let out a small sigh before exiting the room, I then turn to my papers and take a deep breath, attempting to encourage myself, once again, to persevere through the day.

" _Noire has no friends! She's a loner! The Loner CPU of Gamindustri!"_ Neptune's voice continually rung through my brain as I had began my workday in the basilicom. _Shut up, Neptune!_ I think to myself, half growling at Neptune as I angrily fill out a permission slip to approve a new product. _I have friends! I-I think… B-but that's besides the point!_ I let out a frustrated pout at the paper, slapping it down onto the finished pile, which was barely starting to grow.

Neptune is one of the most horrible people to ever work with. She's loud, obnoxious, and constantly claims to be the main protagonist, whatever the hell that means. What's even worse is that every time that I go see Neptune, she always, _always_ teases me about my social status with other people, claiming that I don't have any friends! I-I swear that I have friends! But the fact that her voice relaying the same words over and over again throughout the entire day, no, _month_ drives me insane! On top of that is the amount of work that I have to complete every day just because of simplistic things like job interviews and transactions at a convenience store! I feel bad for putting a lot of the work onto Uni and Kei, but it's grueling to have to keep up with this paperwork and stress for so long.

After hours upon hours of working without a break, the sunlight wading through the windows grows dimmer and dimmer. The pen lies heavy in my hand, and my wrist stings from writing so much. I let the pen drop from my hand, listening it drop onto the table, my hands shaky from the endless amount of writing. With a long, drawn-out sigh, I bury my face within the brief safety of my hands. Neptune's heinous banter continues to ring like a headache through my stressed out mind no matter how much I try to forget it. _I'm going to go insane! It's been like this for months. Months! Nothing has changed…_ No matter how much I work, no matter how much I try, nothing is getting better. It's almost like I'm doing nothing at all. **Useless**.

Reluctantly, but with a morbid curiosity, I peek through my fingers, the workload of papers taunting me. I cover my eyes again, groaning painfully from the bottom of my heart. I can't go through another day of the same, tedious work. I just can't! I can't concentrate like I used to, I can't be the the Goddess I need to be, and I can't be the sister I'm supposed to be! My breathing runs ragged, my chest swelling with a vicious anxiety. I don't know how long I can deal with that obnoxious voice in my head. I'd never really let her worthless teasing get to me, but with all this work I've been forced to do, there's been no time to socialize with anyone. Not even with Uni…

 _When was the last time I went outside? It's been… weeks._ It's hard to contain my self pity, leaving me to rip my hands from my face and letting them hang loosely at my sides as I lean back into my chair. Nervously, I run my hands through my twintails, bringing them around to my chest. I sit in my seat, staring blankly at the mound of work I've been putting off. _There's been so much to do, but maybe, just_ maybe _, I can take a break._ The idea swirls around in my head, the pros and cons of the idea clashing against each other for dominance. On one hand I want to take a break, and maybe I'll feel more encouraged to work afterwards, but on the other hand I'll be skipping on work that has to get done.

I feel like a sack of rocks; My arms and legs feel like weights; I don't want to move; I don't want to change. I don't want to think, it just hurts to think. I even bet that I stink, even though I shower each and every morning. I just don't want people to see me.

 _Oh for crying out loud!_ I exclaim in my head, my gut feeling disagreeing with my jumbled feelings. _I might as well do something different_. But it's not easy. I can't move from my chair, it feels like a crime. After a minute of internal fighting I push my chair back and stand up. My joints ache and crack when I stretch, but I have to say it actually feels pretty good. It's been _way_ too long since I went outside, which might seem like a strange thing for a CPU to say, but it's true. I don't want to think about it, though.

Each step to the door is like wading through mud. My legs aren't physically lead, but in my mind I can't help but wonder what will happen. A sudden buildup of anxiety sucks the determination out of me. After what seems like a mile of walking, I manage to make it to the door, hesitantly reaching for the doorknob and twisting it, revealing the neatly lit hallway of the basilicom. I look to my left and to my right, instinctively afraid that someone will see me attempting to make an escape. _Of course nobody will be there to stop me!_ I give myself a nod of reassurance before walking down the hallway. _I'm the CPU so it wouldn't be_ that _abnormal for me to want to take a break! I mean, look at Neptune; she's either eating pudding or playing video games all day!_

Entering the main entrance of the basilicom, I'm confronted by Kei, the Oracle of Lastation. Normally, I would be confident in talking to her about nearly anything, but at the moment, it felt as if she were a stranger to me. Someone who I wouldn't dare trust my feelings with. Just as I was about to brush past her, she speaks up, staring at me with a sideways glance.

"Where are you headed off to, Noire?" She questions, breaking the stalemate. I freeze abruptly, turning to face Kei.

"N-nowhere you need to know, Kei!" I hear myself stammer, my face beginning to burn a bright red. "I-I'm just going to take a break from the paperwork for now. I promise that I'll be back soon!"

"Alright, Noire. That's fine with me." Kei gives me a small smile, allowing for me to let out a sigh of relief, my shoulders relaxing from it's tense position. "Try not to take too long because we have an important meeting to attend to in a few hours."

"Thanks so much, Kei. It means a lot to me." Returning the smile, I excuse myself from the conversation, hurrying out of the basilicom before Kei could get any more concerned.

I had found myself wandering throughout the city of Lastation, greeting the citizens as I would any day whilst venturing without a designated destination. Time seemed to fly by so much faster than it did back in the basilicom. I felt as if I were finally free from the chains of work, of the verbal harassment dealt by Neptune. The feeling had only lasted for so long before I had quickly realized that I wasn't surrounded by my Lastation citizens any longer. Snapping out of my melodramatic droning, I take a glance at the scenery before me.

Strange. Am I usually this inattentive?

Finding myself deep within the woods, I notice that I'm surrounded by a forest of various trees. They sprout healthy leaves, the dimming light filtering through the few, sporadic gaps within the canopy of greenery. The lowest trees tower over my head, their trunks rough with a deep brown bark. The air is full of life, the whistling wind rushing through the branches as they dance to the rhythm of the breeze. At the same time, birds begin to sing their repetitive songs over and over. Despite their tune beautifully ringing in my ears, it reminded me of the obnoxious voice of Neptune. I shake my head, pushing the branches of a thick bush out of the way. _None of that. Not right now_. In response to my repulsive thoughts towards Neptune, the thin appendages drape a pleasantly green blanket over my skin as I pass by as if it were trying to reassure me.

I feel… at peace. Almost like I could just disappear. Disappear into the woods and let the green wrap me in a blanket of whatever _I_ want it to be, shielding me from the stress, pain and anxiety from back in the Basilicom. Yeah, Kei can handle the work. Uni is growing up now, I have faith she can handle it too. It isn't wrong for me to disappear. I don't feel wrong. I feel… blank.

Empty.

Wrong.

There's so much wrong with me.

On the inside, my self-restraint collapses, the floodgates crashing open. I find myself crying. My hands scramble to halt the flow of tears, my silent choking only causing more tears to surge onto my clothes. I'm walking. My legs move robotically and I'm not thinking anymore. Knowing the duties I still had to fulfil, I probably would have turned back home by now. I'm walking away from my work and my family. I'm walking away from who I'm supposed to be. I can't take it any more, I just can't! Even _I'm_ allowed to have a breaking point, right? I reassure myself by saying that I deserve to feel good once in awhile.

But does walking away feel good?

The singing of the birds doesn't give me an answer, the gentle swaying of the trees leaving me speechless.

These trees. I haven't seen these trees before, have I?

I slow down my walking to a halt, eyes red and plump from the sudden outburst of my emotions. My sleeves are wet, but at the least my eyes are not.

The ground is covered in tiny brown needles, and when I bend down to touch them they are soft, like leaves. I turn to my right, and run my hand down the rough bark of a tree. There's a bit of sticky sap stuck to me when I lift my hand off. It smells a bit like syrup. The leaves from the trees are firm needles, but despite being firm they are soft to the touch. The air smells like the trees, and yet these trees smell different than what I'm used to. They're beautiful in their own unique way. I'd like to say that this is still Lastation, but I'm not entirely sure anymore.

I turn around, facing back to the way that I had come from. I don't recognize anything. There's no path, and the bushes here are not lush and green, but thin and leafy. The ground is covered in these needles like a layer of mulch.

"Great, did I _seriously_ get myself lost?" I sigh, grumbling to myself with frustration. I don't see a way back, so the best way, as it typically is, is to push forwards. But I don't know if I want to push forwards. I feel weak. But at the same time, I feel curious. Maybe one _final_ adventure. My head sags as I walk forwards, through the bushes and weaving through the trees. My feet sinks into the soft ground with every step I take further from home.

Coming across a clearing, I come to stop. The sky's beginning to fall into the clutches of the night, telling me that there's not much time left before I needed to find someplace to rest. But for a moment, I think that that might be a good thing. _Do I really want to go back? What's waiting for me back home? Might as well rest here._ I decisively keep walking in the direction that I had believed to be the way that I was already walking in earlier.

Do I want to go home? Not really, not anymore. Do I want to keep walking? Not really, it feels like too much work. Again, surprising for me to say, but I don't know anymore. At least not now. But do I want to lie down, to sit here for an eternity? Not really.

And when I think back to that nagging workload back home, I don't know if I'm telling myself the truth about anything anymore.

With both hands I part the fringe of bushes, revealing a sea of lights. From the top of a hill, my vision had been taken captive by a wealth of glimmering lights. Two story apartment complexes, one story residential houses. A slumbering town. Lively on the inside, silent to everyone outdoors. Like me.

Across the horizon windows cast a calm yellow haze over the streetlight-lit streets, each window briefly revealing a life outside my own, presumably with it's own complications and successes. But there's not a sound to complete the scene. Not a sound of what goes on in those lives. It's so mediocre, so normal. Not like Gamindustri, where something is _always_ happening. I'd love to smile at that thought, but something keeps me from doing so. What good does it do for me anyways? Somehow, with a breath of the crisp air, a whimpering smile creeps onto my lips. Worries can wait. I don't need stress right now, just this.

My legs move on their own, marching me and my thoughts down the hill. Just the sight of the tranquility brings a feeling a warmth into my cold minded body, but barely.

I step onto the streets, venturing into this mysterious territory. A young couple is wrapped in a topic unknown to the me in the house next door, and a child is laughing from a window across the street. _I wonder what's keeping them up?_ A tinge of jealousy had begun to meander its way into my mind, but I quickly shrug it off.

Driven by the desire to let myself go, I begin to walk.

But I'm tired of walking.

I'm tired of it all.

However, something about this motivates me. The mystery, the exploration.

It always did, and now is no exception. One _final_ adventure.

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 **~[Original]Author's Note!~**

 **[HDNftw:] Hey, everyone! What'd you think of a sudden, new story? Did something seem off with my style of writing? Well guess what? I'm doing a collaboration ...Hopefully this collab goes well and is actually successful because It was really ha[r]d for me to drop the last collab! I originally was a beta reader for Zergface, but then things got more interesting and now I'm doing a collab with him!**

 **[me:] Yeah, so this is gonna be a cool slice of life thing. I wanted to make a nice romance I'm bad at writing that. I write different stuff. Find me if you're interested. Not advertising I swear. But! HDNftw is good with that apparently. So both our writing is coming together to make one BIGASS thing which will have best of both worlds. We'll find out.**

 **{HDNftw again:] Wow... thanks for that shameless plug but uh yeah! Seriously you need to check out his page, he has some pretty awesome works! He's got some really interesting plot ideas that he's got up his sleeves! Nevertheless, tyvm for checking out our collab! Follow/Fav/Review to let us know if this story is worth the story (even we haven't really gone into very much depth of the plot itself... but it's only the first chapter!) an amazing day, everyone!**


	2. Chapter 2

**|~|~| Elijah |~|~|**

"Hey, it was fun having you over, Elijah!" One of my classmates, Kaeleb, called out to me as I had excused myself from the party. "You should come over again sometime! The house is open every day all week so you can come whenever you'd like!" Giving Kaeleb a wave of departure, I smile before slipping my hands into the pockets of my jeans. Kaeleb had invited the entire sophomore grade of Brighton High over to his house since this was nearly the end of the school year. He had presented to us the idea of coming over to his house seven days in a row just to party in preparation and celebration for the end of the school year. I, personally, think that he's overdoing it quite a bit, but Kaeleb has quite the ambitious personality. Letting out a sigh, I begin to walk on the route back to my house, which isn't very far from the party itself.

The nighttime streets of my hometown are as they usually are, quiet. I like it that way. The street lamps cast wandering shadows with my body as I walk, it's simplistic movement dragging my dreary eyes to the ground before me.

Feeling something wet drop onto my arm I look up to see if there were any clouds that had begun to form in the dusk sky. That's when I quickly realized that the "raindrop" wasn't actually a raindrop. Above me, with legs dangling over the roof of a fairly tall office building, was a girl with raven-black twin tails, dressed in an attire that I would consider to be a "cosplayer". By that, her clothes aren't exactly that of your common pedestrian. Her face was buried into her hands, tears streaming down her face. _I wonder what happened to her._ I think to myself, observing her as she continues to cry. _M-more importantly wh-_

"-hy the hell are you up on the roof!?" I exclaim, partially unintentionally, catching the girl off guard.

"Wha-!?" She exclaims, a sniffle interrupting her sentence. She glares down at me as she wipes the tears out of her eyes as if hoping that I wouldn't've noticed her crying. "Y-you creep! How long have you been watching me?!"

"I just got here like a minute ago! I thought it was raining for crying out loud!" I let out a sigh and put my hands on my hips, observing the scenario before me. A depressed girl whom I had thought to be clouds that were just beginning to sprinkle. "More importantly, you need to get down from there! You're not even supposed to be up there!"

She doesn't respond, averting her gaze from mine. What do I do? There's no real reason someone would sit on the edge like that unless they were depressed or stargazing. And I know as a fact that she sure isn't stargazing.

"Jeez," I grumble to myself, shuffling through my pockets, "this girl's crazy!" I mutter to myself, pulling out my phone with eyes full of concern.

I really don't know what to do right now, and it shows. My mind races from one thought to another in a blur My hands are shaking. Her life might just be in my hands. But what do I do? I can't just let her jump! That's just common sense, but what are my options? I'm far too panicked and tired to think rationally… who else would be awake at this time of night?

The police? What would they do? Arrest her? I bet that she'd freak out if she saw the cops, and that only would lead to disaster.

And in a restless state of worry, I text someone who's probably awake and able to respond right now. No, not the police. A friend of mine, Nick. I know him well enough to consider the guy a friend, despite only having been with each other twice after school and him being a whole class above me. Anyways, the fact that he's older must make him mature and able to handle this, right?

 **|~|~| Nick |~|~|**

"Fuckin hell!" I exclaim into my microphone. I'm in my room of my apartment, door locked and lights off. "What the fuck are you doing over there?" With my right hand on the mouse and my left hand on the keyboard I scroll over to the far right side of the real-time strategy game's map. It's supposed to portray central Korea, near the city of Seoul. My teammate, supposedly at the high level of 20, has spent all his points on a swarm of cheap South Korean infantry draftees. For a reason that eluded even the best part of my mind, he thought it would have been a great idea to have them walk across a bridge all at once. Smart, I know. And that's when the enemy North Korean player decided to get their act together and drop artillery on the bridge. My ally's infantry didn't stand a chance, and now our right flank was open.

"Y-you can't just do that!" I take deep breaths in a vain attempt to calm down. "You just cost us the _whole_ _game_!" He doesn't respond. Probably embarrassed for dooming the entirety of South Korea. I click on an Apache attack helicopter and dispatch it towards the chaos. It glides over a forest and past a river majestically, right up until almost a dozen Chinese tanks cross over the horizon, surging with zeal to destroy the remnants of the South.

My phone, sitting to the right of my mouse, buzzed once. I can ignore just one text. I turn back to the game, ordering the helicopter to engage the wave of tanks. Then the phone buzzed a second time. Probably one of my drunk friends asking me to drive them home again. It happens more often than you'd think. But then it buzzed for a third time, which was the sign that something was not right.

Unable to ignore it any further, I begrudgingly reach my hand over to the phone and pick it up. With a flick of the thumb it turns on, revealing a swarm of texts from some underclassman I know. It's... Elijah. Strange of him to text me so late at night. Strange of him to text me at all. Briefly reading over the texts, one particular message catches my eye.

"She's gonna jump off of the roof!"

I blink once. My eyes narrow.

"What the hell!?" I tear my headphones off of my head. This really isn't something I'd see him joking about, and I take this seriously. _Who's she? Where?_ Captured by the message, I scroll through the texts religiously, reading them as fast as possible. _A girl with twintails, dressed like a cosplayer?_ I switch the computer off. The game can wait. _Is she depressed about people talking shit about her cosplay?_ I think to myself, slipping on my thin blue jacket and shoes. I run a hand through my black hair, loosening it out from being under the headphones for so long. I hobble over to the door of my room with my phone in hand. _He's not far, looks like I can walk._ I throw myself out of the apartment and down flights of stairs.

Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I burst out of the building, nearly sprinting as I head towards the destination where the depressed cosplayer girl and Elijah were. I have to admit, I wouldn't really care if it were anything less than suicide. At that point Elijah can handle the situation himself. But now that someone's on the damn _edge_ , that's when I should step in. I find myself good at talking people out of stupid things such as combining drugs and alcohol, so I'm not all that heartless… I think.

It took me no time at all to reach the street Elijah was on. Turning the corner, I spot him twiddling his thumbs nervously under a streetlight. His head is arched up, his worried gaze directed towards the girl he was talking about. It's not easy to make her out in the dim lighting, but I can see her legs dangling over the edge. Her arms are propped up beside her on the low wall she's sitting on whilst looking up as if she were in a trance.

From this initial reading, it's plain to see that this is just as serious as I thought it was. I slow down to a walk, inching closer and closer to Elijah. Once I reach the streetlight I look up at the girl, arms crossed.

"So," I almost immediately break the silence, startling Elijah. "What have you gotten us into today?"

"Me? My fault? Oh, shut up." He sighs, relieved to see that it's only me.

"Do you know who she is?"

"Nope, not a clue."

"Okay. Hav-" I cut myself off, debating whether to ask him if he had called the cops already. I realized that he had called _me_ instead of the police due to the current situation. And that makes sense, as the police would spook the girl out a ton as opposed to me. He has his reasons for doing what he does, so I might as well go with the flow.

"Has she said anything yet? Did you say anything to her? Anything at all?" I ask, the jovial mood being diminished by the abruptly serious tone of my voice.

"No, not really," My junior takes a moment to recall the scene, rubbing his chin as he does so. "Unless you would consider 'anything' being her calling me a creep and asking how long I was here for."

"I'm guessing you said nothing?"

"After she scoffed at me I tried to tell her to get down, saying that it's not okay for her to be up there." Elijah spoke with more confidence. "She hasn't said anything since that accusation though."

"Mhm." I acknowledge, deep in thought. _Depressed, self conscious… that would explain why she didn't react to his request. The last thing she needs is to be told that what she's doing is wrong._

The sophomore nudges me in the side, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asks, uneasy. "I swear, I didn't mean to-"

"You did nothing wrong, Elijah." I interrupt, walking towards the building where the girl was sitting on top of.

"Hey!" He reaches an arm out to me, and I stop to face him. "You're going up there?"

I look him in the eyes as if the answer to the question was obvious. "Yeah? And?"

"N-nothing." He stammers, gazing back up at the girl.

I continue to the door and push it open. The lobby of the apartment building is empty; at this hour everyone is asleep or quieting down. Except for us unlucky three. My legs lift me up the stairs at a brisk pace, the gravity of the situation sinking in. I pass the top floor and keep moving up to the ceiling. From there I push the exit door forwards, taking me onto the roof.

A gust of wind nearly sweeps me off my feet as the heavy metal door slams shut behind me. The noise didn't seem to startle the girl, for she continued to stare off into the distance, as if she were caught in a spell. Her long hair is caught by the wind, the black tails floating above the ground like the wings of an angel.

I step forwards with trepidation, a little unsure on what to say. It doesn't come naturally, but I start to speak cordially.

"Hey there!" My words send a jolt through her body, and her head snaps to face mine. "I'm Nick. My buddy down there was a little concerned about you…"

"Pfft." She rolls her eyes to show her disdain, yet her body language contradicts. "N-nobody needs to be worried about me!" Her voice softens, and she turns her head away, a small pout sounding from her mouth. The classic 'I say something but mean the opposite' you get from girls. _Okay, at least she's predictable. I can work with this._ I think to myself, observing her actions.

"We'd like to help you, you know." A pause. She shifts in her position, her dangling legs making me begin to sweat out of nervousness. "I don't think I caught your name."

It takes a moment for her to respond, but when she did, she quietly answered me."Noire. It's… Noire."

"That's a nice name, Noire." I repeat, showing her that I'm listening. "That sounds like a French name to me."

"French." She says, amused. "French?"

"Y-yeah," I half chuckle as I speak. "Noir is the french word for 'black', and that kinda suits you with the black hair and all." I gesture at her black hair with a hand.

"I suppose so." is all she says.

She turns back to the sky, then looks down at the ground.

 _It's a long, long fall._

"You see that guy down there?" I ask, averting her attention towards Elijah, who was staring up at the two of us. Her eyes land on the boy down below. "His name's Elijah. He's a good kid to be worrying about you like he is right now. You know, if he didn't care for you he wouldn't have gone through all of this trouble to call for help. People are looking out for you, Noire."

Her arms suddenly begin to tense.

I rub the back of my neck, taking a deep breath as I cut straight to the point. "Noire, are you thinking of harming yourself today?"

"N-no!" She quickly responds, her eyes continue to bounce back to Elijah, unable to keep her eyes off him for a second. "What makes you say that?"

"You're kinda on the edge of the building, Noire." I say with concern on my voice emphasizing my point by nodding my head in her direction. "Can you step away from the edge for a second and hear me out?" She ignores me as more wind blows by, nudging her legs forwards even further. "We wouldn't want you to slip and fall, Noire."

The black haired girl brings her legs back over the wall, and a wash of relief washes over my body like a wave. But this was merely the first step, for she's still not out of the woods just yet.

"What?" She asks sharply as if I had been accusing her of something, giving me a full view of her bright red pupils. "You see now? I-I'm crying, okay? Can you leave me alone?" I could feel her self-esteem crumbling by the second.

"Noire," I slow down my pacing, trying to cool her down. "I want us all to go home saf-"

"Home? You want me to go home?" She sighs, crossing her arms as she glares at me. "Home!?" The word rolls over her lips like poison.

"Home should always be a safe place." I call out over another cold gust of wind.

"It _should_ , Nick."

"Why _isn't_ home a safe place?"

Noire opens her mouth, then closes it. I could tell that wanted to talk, but I can see that she doesn't want to open up to me just yet. "It just isn't." She just leaves it at that.

"So you're going to sit on the edge of a building and risk suicide? Will this solve your problems?"

"J-just leave me alone!" She begins to whimper, getting emotional again. _I'm losing control of the situation._ I clench my fists with both fear and assertiveness. _Think, Nick, think!_

"I'm afraid that I can't do that at the moment, not when you're like this."

"F-fine then! Stay!" She shrugs, huffing sadly. "You're almost as obnoxious as Neptune..." She mutters under her breath. I pause, letting her calm down for a bit. I don't want to get her heart racing, that'll just make her irrational. And irrational behavior is the climate of bad decisions.

"Is Neptune a friend of yours?" I hesitantly ask the question, not sure as to what response I would get.

She thinks over her answer for a moment before responding. "I guess you could say that."

"I wouldn't know."

She carefully steps down, and leans her head over the ledge, resting her hands on the wall. That's a little nerve wracking. Slowly I walk out beside her, placing my hands next to hers. I'm glad she's comfortable enough to let me stand next to her, it shows she's starting to have some stabilization in her emotions. This brief calm can either mean she's recovering or at peace, and she'd better not be at peace.

"I'm guessing you're having trouble with her?" I ask.

She takes a slow drag out of the air, and looks away. "Yeah, I guess."

 _Not sure about a lot, huh._ I think to myself.

"Anything hard takes time, and some quiet. This solitude is good, but the ledge is a little scary." I say.

She shifts her gaze again, saying nothing.

"It just doesn't go away!" She blurts, catching me unaware. "I can't think of anything but all this dumb stuff I have... waiting for me back home, it's there when I sleep, when I eat, when I… Think!" She cries out, emotions running free. "I- I just don't want to think about it anymore!"

She buries her face in her arms, and the tips of her fingers rubbing her skin worryingly.

"I see how you want to just let it all go. And everyone feels that once it a while. But actually letting go? That's unacceptable."

"You really don't get it, then!" She accuses. "You talk and talk and talk but you don't know! You don't know how it feels to be alone, to have your responsibilities pile and pile and pile, letting go is all I have left!"

"Noire," I lower my voice. "Those feelings- it's anxiety. We all have it. You have it pretty bad, and I know that I never had that much pressure on me, ever."

Noire opens her mouth to shout at me again. I cut her off.

"But that's just fucking selfish, killing yourself and all. Who the hell is going to take care of that workload when you're gone? Your subordinates? How well will they handle your responsibility? How well will the people who care about you handle your _death?_ "

"I-" She begins, but pauses immediately after. She's been cornered, and that's not necessarily a good thing.

"Noire," I speak softly, and she looks away. "Slipping off this building is permanent. You haven't done anything that will last a lifetime, yet. And don't worry, times like this happen." I hold up my arms in surrender. "I don't judge."

She sighs, shaking. And after a second that seemed like an hour, she spoke.

"Nick… give me a second."

I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding.

Things need to cool down. It doesn't seem like a long talk, but it was powerful. I hope I didn't screw anything up… being aggressive and asserting yourself isn't the best move to make all the time, but here it felt like it was necessary. Maybe it even payed off.

I search the stars above the forest, the tips of the trees seemingly tickling the brightest ones. Even from where we are, we're able to hear the crickets chirping faintly in the distance, their song soothing and serene. We stand there together for a while, me and Noire. She's probably thinking hard about her problems while I'm here thinking about tomorrow. Today is a Saturday, giving me an excuse for staying up late. Well, I would've just been playing games if Elijah hadn't brought me out here. I look down, and the kid stares right back at me, uneasy. I gently nod, telling him that things are calming down.

My cheeks start to feel kinda sharp if I touch them because of the cold. Not good.

Noire's breathing eases, making it clear that maybe now she's open to talk. But this isn't really the place to do so, up on the roof. If she has nowhere else to go then maybe we can take her to Elijah's place. My dad gets home from work around now, and I don't want to inconvenience him. Yeah. That sounds like a good plan. If Elijah is up for it.

"Hey, Noire?"

"Nick."

"You ready to come down now? If you want, we can talk somewhere else. It's also getting kinda cold." I rub my sleeves to emphasize my point.

She doesn't answer me immediately, staring off into the distance. A moment of silence had passed by before she finally nods in response.

"You have a funny way with words." She says to my face. She's annoyed, but curious. "You stare at me like I'm a college textbook. What's up with that?"

I shrug, saying nothing.

"About your earlier question, sure, I guess so." She looks into the distance. _What's she looking at_? "But where to? I don't exactly have a place to stay."

"I have it all worked out. We can go for my buddy's place, you'll be fine there."

She thinks over it for a second, but then gives me a nod of approval. "Okay, that sounds fine with me."

When she starts to hoist herself onto the edge of the building, I start to panic. I thought she was getting better! _Wait, Noire!_

She inches forwards, slowly drifting off the roof and then plummets right off of the edge like a dead weight. I scramble forwards, breaking out of my train of thought, and try to grab her ankle. But she's gone, down, down, down.

Noire touches down with a fairly audible thump, making my heart sink. _And I thought things were going well! Damn it! Damn it!_

But then she stands up. Just like that. Not even a scratch on her body.

She turns to stare up at me, letting out a laugh as she stares up at me, my face displaying a look of frustration, fear, and confusion. Is this a joke? I must be hallucinating. Yeah, that's the only reasonable possibility. This can't be real. It _is_ getting late, after all.

"You look hysterical, Nick!" She laughs and turns to face Elijah, her attention immediately diverting from me. _Is that her way of teasing me?_ I think to myself, stepping away from the ledge and heading down the apartment to meet up with the other two. _It's not funny, you know!_

But I need to think on this. My head hurts at the illogicality of it all.

She should be dead.

 **|~|~| Noire |~|~|**

 _What a strange duet._ I think to myself as I look between the two people whom I have just been introduced to, unfortunately that wasn't carried out in the most formerly manner.

"So where's Elijah's place at?" I speak up, still feeling a little antsy from my emotional episode, just as Nick finally makes his way back over to where Elijah and I are at.

"I can show you the way, Noire." Elijah speaks up, Nick just putting his hands behind his head, letting him do his own thing. "It isn't too far from here. It's actually just past Nick's place."

"Are you going to come along, Nick?" I look at Nick, who had been whistling whilst the two of us had been conversing. He's looking at me weird as if I'm an alien, studying me like I had just done something disgusting. Was it something that I said?

"Nah, I'm good." He stops whistling and slips his hands into his pockets. "I've got my people waiting for me, so I'm gonna have to pass on the offer. I can walk with you guys until we pass my house if that'll make you any happier." He shrugs apathetically. "Thanks for the invitation, though."

Just as I was about to open my mouth to convince Nick to join us, Elijah cuts me off. "I wouldn't try to convince him, Noire. He's the type to stick to his guns no matter what." Nick gives the thumbs up to Elijah, patting him on the shoulder as he does so.

"Well phrased, Elijah!" Nick compliments him enthusiastically. He looks me right in the eye as if trying to send a message to me in particular, but says nothing, leaving me to ponder upon what he was trying to relay.

Shaking my head in confusion, I let out a sigh. "Sucks for you if you miss out on anything!"

"I'll just get Elijah to tell me the goods." He blatantly smirks, half-nodding.

"D-don't use me as your scribe!" Elijah glares at Nick, receiving a laugh in return.

Nick clears his throat. "Let's head back before we wake up the entire neighborhood." Elijah and I both nod in response.

The three of us begin to make our way down the street to our first destination: Nick's apartment. There was a silence between the three of us, and yet surprisingly the atmosphere didn't portray any signs of awkwardness or tension. It was more like a peaceful, calm atmosphere. One where I could feel good once again. No pressure, no judgement. There was no verbal communication, and yet we all seemed to understand one another by holding back on the initiation of a conversation.

In no time at all, we somehow managed to find ourselves in the front of Nick's apartment. It felt as if that walk had sped by in an instant. There was hardly any interaction between the three of us as we bid our farewells to one another before Nick had departed from the group, leaving Elijah with me.

"Is it okay for me to be staying at your place, Elijah?" I look up at Elijah, who was nearly a head taller than me. "I-I mean, you don't _have_ to let me stay at your place, idiot!"

"Of course it's fine with me, Noire!" Elijah speaks without a hint of sarcasm, unlike Nick. "It would be awfully rude of me to just leave you be after seeing you be in such a state." He gives me a look of reassurance, along with a comforting hand that was gently placed on my shoulder.

It was the first time that I had actually taken a good look at Elijah's physical features. He had messy, brown hair that complimented his emerald green eyes. He wore a plain, white sweatshirt that had a company's logo stitched onto the left breast to go along with a pair of black jeans. There wasn't anything special about his attire or appearance, but something else was intriguing about him as a person. There was a calming atmosphere that surrounded him, leaving me to be swept up by the relieving aura. It was different than that stubborn, one-directional Nick. Having been with these two for less than a few hours, so much has already been revealed to me about these strange people, even more still awaiting my discovery.

"So how far is your place from here?" I let my eyes follow the road beyond us.

"My place isn't too far from here. It's a couple minutes away so it shouldn't take us too long to get there." He explains to me, and I nod in acknowledgement.

"Welcome to my humble abode!" Elijah holds the door open for me as we arrive at his house. It's a two story house with a peach-white coating. This place isn't the fanciest house that I've been to, but not the worst either. As far as I can see so far, it's a fairly mediocre piece of property compared to the luxurious Basilicom.

"Thank you." I accept his welcome and take a step into his house, the gentle warmth of the indoors alongside the fresh aroma of cinnamon, greeting me as I enter. "This place isn't half bad!" I begin to explore his house, examining his furniture and cleanliness as I do so.

"I try my best." Elijah lets out a chuckle as he follows me around as I wander around my temporary home. The walls are white, but not barren: paintings and mirrors line the halls above the simple furnishings, Elijah does seem to have a taste for the arts. We keep walking through the house, my mind getting more accustomed to this new setting.

"This is your best?" I stop in the center of the living room, my feet enjoying the fluffy texture of the spotless rug. "Well, at least you do a good job of maintaining the cleanliness of this place. Some people who I know don't even know how to use a vacuum!" I huff, the memory of Neptune slithering into my mind. _Ugh_.

"I appreciate the compliment," He nods sincerely before yawning, stretching his arms out wide. He checks a clock on the wall, and it's almost midnight. Then he stares into my eyes. "It's a little late, but you might be hungry. You want something to eat?"

I don't respond immediately, and he fidgets nervously, not looking very confident. "I'd like to talk more, but standing here like this is kinda awkward… I can cook if you'd like."

I can't help but smile at his dorkiness. "Sure thing, Elijah. I am feeling a bit peckish myself, what are you offering tonight?"

My host slides into the kitchen, stopping beside a stone countertop and examining the contents of a refrigerator. "We got enough ingredients to make a simple salmon dish, but as you can see," He steps aside from the fridge, allowing me to see that the supplies are fairly bare. "I need to do some shopping soon…"

I tilt my head, a little confused. "Your parents don't do the shopping?" Back in Lastation, it was normal for the parents or guardians of minors to do most of the chores. Are things different here? Speaking of which, where am I? This definitely isn't Lastation. I'll go ask when I get the chance.

"Eh," Elijah pulls out a plate, beginning to season the fish with thyme and a bit of lemon juice. Adding a few more spices in which I couldn't hope to keep track of, he quickly clicked on the stove, a sudden flare of flame dancing onto the stove. "It's a long story, but to keep things simple; I do all of the shopping." He seemed to be a little reluctant to acknowledge the question, placing his hand just above the pan, testing the heat of the surface before adding a dash of the oil.

"Would you like me to help you cook?" I find myself meandering around the kitchen, observing his well-maintained kitchen utensils, as well as the neat, tile decoration that lined the walls of the workplace. "I might be of some help, depending on the task you give me."

"I think I'm alright." He looks back at me with a smile, picking up the pieces of salmon with chopsticks and placing them down on the pan, a small hiss sounding as the seasoning and skin of the fish come in contact with the hot, oiled surface. "If you'd like, we can talk about whatever you'd like to kill time."

"That does bring up a question that has been bothering me for quite some time after I had arrived in this place." I say, leaning against the counter nearby the stove where Elijah was working at.

"What is it?"

"Where exactly _is_ this place? It looks familiar to my place, but it doesn't quite have the same atmosphere to it."

"What do you mean, 'where is this place'?" He lets out a laugh before returning his focus to the fish, flipping it over onto its other side. "This is Brighton!" He raises an eyebrow. "It's a small town in Massachusetts, you probably haven't heard of it…" He doesn't seem to be content with my deadpan, so he continues, a little sarcastic. "If you need me to be _that_ specific, we're in a country called the United States of America, which is one of 7 continents in the world, Earth. What else is there?" He gave me a goofy grin, as if he thought I was messing with him. I-I wasn't!

"So this isn't Gamindustri?" That was the first comment that blurted out of my mouth.

"What's 'Gamindustri'?" He genuinely sounded confused.

"What do you mean, 'what's Gamindustri'? That's where I came from!" I place a hand over my chest, looking directly into Elijah's eyes. "I am formerly known as Black Heart, CPU of Lastation! Everyone should know me! I'm actually surprised that you don't… are you messing with me?"

"No, and I clearly don't know you by that name." He grabs two plates from the cupboard, quickly taking the two pieces of salmon off of the stove and placing them on the plates. "I just know you as 'Noire' and that's it."

"S-so you're saying that nobody here knows me?" I felt taken aback, staring at Elijah with disbelief. _What place_ is _this? Why did I even come here? More importantly,_ _ **how**_ _did I get here?_

"I'm afraid not. Wherever you come from seems to be completely different than this." He beckons with his head to follow me, picking up the two plates and leading me into his living room. "Can you tell me more about where you came from?"

"I might as well since you are clearly oblivious about my situation." Once we settle down on the couch, I proceed to tell him a basic overview of what Gamindustri is, and I'm relieved by my observations to find that he's quick to absorb the information that I give him.

"So from what I'm understanding, you're a ruler of one of four nations, Planeptune, Lastation, Leanbox, and Lowee. You rely on things called 'Shares' which allow you to transform into a more powerful version of yourself in which all of the citizens rely on you for. You, unfortunately, were overwhelmed by personal problems and decided to take an aimless walk to distract yourself, somehow transferring dimensions and finding yourself here, correct?"

I nod, glad that he understands.

"You know, you've got a pretty vivid imagination." He smirked, handing me a plate of the fish dish. I accept it tentatively, eyeing him with suspicion. _He doesn't believe me? Who_ wouldn't _believe me?_

"You think I'm lying? Wow, that's rude!" I snap, pulling the plate into my lap. He gave me a pair of chopsticks to eat with and they feel familiar in my grip. "I'm telling you the truth!"

He snickers before shoveling a piece of the meal into his mouth. "It's late, _Black Heart_. Cmon, let's wrap this up and get you to bed." He teases with a smile. What? H-he dares to tease me?!

"Hey! I am a Goddess and you will treat me as such. H-hey! Stop laughing!" He breaks out into laughter as I stand up, flustered. "I-I'll prove to you that I'm who I am! Then you'll be sorry!"

Gently setting the plate down onto the table before closing my eyes, preparing the transformation. The sensation of Shares flowing within me relieved my suspicion of the shares not transferring over to Earth, engulfing me within a blindingly bright, white light. Feeling my body transform, I proceed to let the Shares do it's work before the light dissipates, revealing my HDD form, Black Heart, to Elijah.

"What the-!" Elijah gasps, mouth gaping open as I reveal the Goddess within me. He drops his chopsticks onto his plate as I levitate in front of him, clearly defying all logic in this world.

"Do you believe me now?" My hands trail up to my waist triumphantly.

He says nothing, but sits completely shocked.

"I am CPU Black Heart, ruler of Lastation. If you would like me to prove even further that I am a Goddess, I'd be happy to show you my weaponry. Perhaps I should test it on you?"

"I-I think I'm good! You've proven yourself more than enough by already levitating." He stammers, taken aback by the abrupt transformation.

"Geez!" I pout, transforming back into my human form. "How long does it take for one to understand the meaning of my words!?" _Neptune_. With a click of my tongue, both at Elijah and the thought of Neptune.

"I-I'm sorry! It's very... rare to have someone have these powers in Earth, so it kinda threw me off for a bit." That was the last thing that was spoken before I heard my stomach growl. With my face flushed up, I proceed to eat the delicious fish, Elijah's uncontainable laugh in the background.

* * *

 **[Some time later]...**

"That was delicious, Elijah!" I look over at him, watching him wash the dishes. "Thank you for the wonderful meal."

"No problemo, Noire! It's the last that I could do!" He looks back at me with a grin before returning his attention to the dishes. Glancing at the time, I realized that it was nearly two hours after my bedtime; midnight. _Did we really spend all this time just being outside dealing with my selfishness along with the meal?_ I think to myself, trying to calculate the time that had passed ever since I had come to Earth.

"Now that I think about it, Elijah," I walk over to the sink counter where Elijah was, drying off the dishes before placing them in their designated area. "How long has it been since I came here?"

He shrugs, glancing at the clock. "I think about four hours. The sun was still setting upon our encounter." Hearing the extensive amount of time be relayed to me made me let out a yawn. "Are you tired?" My face burns red as I put a hand over my mouth.

"N-no, of course not!" I huff at him, attempting to hide my embarrassment.

"Whatever, you're clearly tired, as we both should be. It's midnight, for crying out loud! At least be modest with yourself." He just laughs and sets down towel. "Here, follow me. I'll show you to a bedroom where you can sleep."

"A-Are you sure? I mean, you've gone as far as making me dinner. I can sleep on the couch!" I begin to make my way over to the living room, but I feel a hand grab onto mine, holding me back.

"It's fine." He smiles with a quick nod. "Really. Like I said before, it's the least that I can do to help you." With a reassuring smile, Elijah lets go of my hand. He then turns around and heads out of the kitchen, walking up the stairs that lead to the bedrooms.

After that, things settled down quickly. Elijah showed me to a guest bedroom, which was located right next to his own. As we entered the room I felt my eyelids droop. Was I getting tired already? I can't help but feel a little surprised at myself- usually I can stay up for hours on end if the progress of my nation were on the line. The springs of the plain white mattress suddenly push me upwards as I throw myself down on it, exhausted.

"Yeah, you're definitely ready for bed." Elijah smiles in the doorframe, holding his hands together rather innocently.

It still feels weird to be accepted into someone's house so quickly… but it'd be impolite for me to just get up and leave now that I'm here. Yeah. It'd be impolite.

"Thanks for the food… and the hospitality… but it's not like I'd need it or anything! I'd be just fine without your help, as I am a CPU, but it is appreciated." My mouth moves on it's own, my urges taking control for a brief, yet valuable second.

"I don't doubt you!" My host raises his arms up in defeat. "But if you need anything, anything at all, don't be afraid to knock on my door."

I nod, yawning out loud. That also gets Elijah to yawn, which makes me smile. Seems to me like some things about people don't change, even across dimensions.

* * *

 **[Meanwhile, somewhere menacing and foreboding]...**

"That was too easy!"

It was nighttime in the forests of Lastation, and although the woods were soundless and asleep, one soul sat with excitement spread across her face.

"That's one CPU down… but which one next?" The woman with with short blonde hair smirked, placing a finger on her lower lip. "Heh. Does it really matter? They'll all be gone soon enough. And when that happens, well," She chuckled, rolling a glowing red crystal in her hand.

"That's when the real fun begins."

* * *

 **-Author's Note-**

 **If you're interested in the story, leave a review! It means a whole lot.**

 **Most of this was already made by the time I came back to revive the story, it was just a matter of wrapping it up and publishing.**

 **The next chapter is coming decently soon, so stay tuned and I hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter 3

**|~|~| Nick |~|~|**

I trudge up the stairs to my apartment, the sleep in my eyes stabbing at my strained pupils with each step. I really need to get more sleep. What is it now, midnight?

Once I reach my door, my right hand hovers over the knob. I don't know why, but I can't really bring myself to open the door just yet. One question lingers In the back of my mind.

Is dad home?

Seems like a weird question, right? But he's just… him. He's not abusive or anything, just not a person I like to be around.

A shiver runs down my spine as my right palm slathers the doorknob, a nervous sweat consuming my whole being. He usually gets home really late, especially after the bar. When I fumble with the handle, the door doesn't appear to be locked. Damn.

I push open the door, then close it with the caressing touch of a mother. With each subtle breath, my lungs take in the musky air of a cheap brown carpet whilst the sound of a broken down television echoes faintly off the dimly lit walls. The door enters into the living room of the apartment, with the television and couch on my left. Further down to the left is the kitchen, and to my right is a restroom beside my room. Across from the apartment's entrance is my dad's room. It's been awhile since I've been in his room, but I'm glad I've kept my distance. The stench is overbearing.

On the couch lies the lumbering form of my father. He's a middle-aged guy, but I can tell that the divorce cost him nearly ten years of his youth. It really shows.

After silently kicking off my shoes, I tiptoe across no-man's-land towards my room. I hoped he was asleep. I really did.

"Nick!" My dad croaked with a sliver of joy in his eyes, lifting his left arm up in the air. "H… how ya doing buddy?"

I don't hate him. He doesn't hate me. I'm not afraid of him. He doesn't scare me. At least, not in the traditional sense.

I stop and turn to him, showing him with a smile. "I'm good, dad." I don't know if it's a genuine smile or not, but he can't tell the difference either way. "How are you, dad? Tough day at work?"

He sighs, turning his head whole body to face mine. "Yup. You wouldn't believe how it is in the office." He runs a hand over his balding head. "It drains you, sucks the soul out of you."

With a piercing stare, he shakes his head. "A word of advice son. The pay's mighty fine, but accounting is death." He sighs, gripping his forehead. Another headache, it seems.

"I appreciate the advice, dad." Every time I say 'dad', a glimmer of life flashes in his eyes and I feel guilty. I turn towards my room again, eagerly awaiting the gentle embrace of sleep.

"Anything exciting happen today? What kept you out so late? You better not be doing those street narcotics. Those ruined your uncle, you know." He looks at me with wide, beading eyes, afraid to see me go.

I face him again, this time stepping up to the couch. "Nothing big, dad." He smiles at the word. "I finished my homework before fetching the clothes from the dry cleaner, I folded your work clothes and left them on the dinner table so you don't have to worry about that." He loves to hear me be responsible. "I went out to see one of the underclassmen kids, he needed a hand with something."

"Don't leave me hanging, son! What was it? Girl problems?" He teased.

"Kinda," I rub the back of my neck. "A friend of his needed my advice, that's all."

He lets out a drawn out sigh, then looks at the TV. "That's good. I always told you to help others, didn't I?"

He was never really there for me, but yeah, he might've said that once. I nod respectfully before speaking. "You did." I turn around, but pause with my hand on my doorknob. "I'm going to go to sleep now, dad."

"Nick, my boy, but what about school? You ready for-"

"Dad," I cut him off, stepping over to the TV and switching it off. The light it provided died off, drenching the room in a sea of darkness. "You've been working late. Please get some sleep." I curl my lower lip upwards, begging with my eyebrows. "Please?"

He says nothing. When he speaks, he shudders. "Oh, Nick…" His hands shakily come up, hiding his face from me. "My son…"

"Dad, please, you're tired…" There's a pulling in my chest.

"..." He says nothing.

After a minute of self resentment I pull back towards my room. I open the door and stand in the doorway, and my computer idles in the corner of the room. It hums, nearly drowning out the silent sobbing of my father.

"Goodnight, dad. I'll see you tomorrow."

I shut the door behind me, and shudder. I always feel so guilty around him. I always feel like there's something I can do, something I can change in my life to help him and myself. But I hate myself for not doing it. I say that I don't know how, I say that it's not my fault, but in reality I know that this procrastination and inaction is action.

When I sleep I tell myself, "it is what it is", but is it really? Could things be different? Could I make a difference?

I shake my conflicting thoughts out of my head. I'm tired and can't think straight, all that hard thinking can wait till later.

But I know that if I lie down and sink my head into my pillow, I won't be able to sleep no matter what. There's way too many things in my mind.

For instance… who was that Noire girl? What was she doing up there, and how did she survive that fall? Elijah didn't really seem to care much about that, and I know that it's best to not interrogate the suicidal person moments after they jump. I mean, broken logic is better than seeing a fleshy red puddle in front of you, right?

But I can't take that out of my mind. She should be dead. She fell four floors, right onto the cold and unforgiving concrete of the sidewalk. She jumped right in front of me, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I had failed to save her, I failed to keep her from jumping. Was it my fault, really? And does it matter whose fault it is now that she lives? No. No. No. It was my fault. She should be dead, and somehow, maybe next time it's not her who lives. I get a second chance, a chance to make sure this never happens again. Yeah. There's a swelling in my stomach, the closure of a deep regret.

I can't let anyone else slip, I can't see that happen for real.

But this time was for real. And she lived. My head throbs at the thought of this broken reality. I need to sit down.

I throw myself down at my desk, lazily shaking the mouse to wake up the computer. The light immediately blinds me, so I turn on a lamp to help my eyes cope.

My Steam library is open, and my labyrinth of games is revealed to me. I don't plan on playing anything at this hour and the thought of starting a game gives me a headache. I open up my friends list. Is Elijah online? We do games together occasionally, but we have different tastes. For instance likes games like Garry's Mod and Left For Dead, while I play Wargame and Arma. We compromise occasionally, and I smile as I think back to the few times we spent together. But back to the task at hand, it doesn't seem like he's online. I pull up my friend's list.

 _Away._

The status glares at me from the screen, and I wonder what's happening at his house right now. He's not offline, just away from the computer. He usually goes offline before hitting the sack. I just hope that the two people are okay and not doing anything they might regret the next day…

And that thought takes me back to the girl. _Noire_. No last name, no identifying features aside from the wicked long twintails and black hair. She seemed a bit Asian, maybe Korean or Japanese.

I want to think more, but my head's killing me. I can't keep my eyes open much longer, and my fingers feel weak on the mouse. I'll look more into this tomorrow.

.

.

.

I dream of rain.

* * *

 **|~|~| Elijah |~|~|**

Typing.

I hear… typing.

With a stiff body, I pull my head out from under my blanket and breathe deeply. Smells like fresh air.

Still groggy, I lift my head up and rub my weary eyes as they try to scan my room for signs of life.

It's that girl, Noire. She's sitting at my desk, messing around with the internet. My eyes are still groggy, so I can't make out what she's looking up.

Hold up just a sec... that wasn't a dream?

No way. If my memory serves me right, and it usually does, then she said that she was a Goddess. And with that is the fact that she doesn't come from this world, which is a crazy thing to even consider.

Now that I have my wits about me, having slept and all, I should be able to make good decisions from here on out. And as a polite host of a foreign guest, I ought to put some pants on. Problem is, my pants are on the floor, and I'd have to get out of bed to put them on.

She still hasn't noticed me, or at least until I tried to slip out from under the covers.

"Huh?" She turned her head around in surprise, the ruffling of blankets piquing her instincts. "Oh, Elijah, you're awa-" Her eyes widen as my face flushes red.

"Hey!" I scramble for my pants, grabbing the pair by the hem. "L-look away!"

With a flaming red blush, she spins herself back around.

"Why are you in my room, Noire?" I demand in the heat of the moment, slipping my blue jeans up to my waist.

"I- I saw your computer and was curious." She pouted with her arms crossed, still looking away. "It's your fault for leaving your door open, idiot."

 _Did I really leave my door open?_ I think to myself, glancing towards the door.

If that's the case, then she does have a valid excuse. But that doesn't mean that it's 100% justified and all. She should've known I'd wake up sooner or later!

"I guess you're right." I sigh, patting down on the edges of my shirt. "Sorry for lashing out at you, I was just kinda…" I rub the back of my neck unconsciously, grinning nervously. "Panicked I guess."

"It's alright." She states quickly. "Next time, be more courteous about it, okay?"

 _Be more courteous? How the hell was I supposed to do that?_

My unanswered thoughts sink into the void, leaving me feeling antsy.

By now, I've fully woken up, and the features of my room become apparent to me. I want to say that it'd be similar to the room of an average teenager, but I haven't been in enough rooms to say that it is. But as I don't always have parental supervision, I think that it's a good thing that I am able to keep my room so clean and tidy.

All my clothes are stored in my dresser and in my closet, organized by attire. You know, formality, casual, jackets, normal person stuff. My bookshelf is parked next to my desk, and atop it sits my widescreen monitor. It's not a gaming computer, and that becomes apparent when you notices the many drawings and art supplies stacked beside the screen. I mainly use that desk for drawing.

I've considered becoming an artist or a writer when I get older, but I'm not really sure exactly what as of right now. Pictures and posters of both anime and just cool art line my white walls, completing the look. It's a fairly plain room, but I like it that way. Nice, neat and orderly. My parents would be proud.

"Hey, what'cha looking at?" I ask timidly, inching behind my guest's shoulder. It looks like she's reading the news. I don't know many girls in my grade that spend their time checking out current events.

She runs a hand through one of her twintails, smiling boastfully.

"I've taken it upon myself to learn more about your world. It's far more chaotic that I could hope to imagine…" She scrolls down the page. Now that I look at it, it's the wikipedia page of the United Nations. "To think so many countries could exist on one planet, to think that each one has a government without a Goddess… It's rather humbling." She takes her hand off the mouse and sets her eyes on my own. "What do you think about it? Your world, I mean."

 _That's a… that's a hard question._

"I guess it's good. I don't really know much about politics honestly, and since there's nothing to compare my world to, it's not easy to judge." I raise an eyebrow. "If anything, you're in a better position to say something as opposed to me, being a interdimensional traveler and all."

She lowers her eyes, thinking. "I guess it's a change of pace."

Something deep runs through her head, leaving several seconds of silence behind in it's wake.

"Do you want some breakfast?" I step back, stretching out my arms. "I'm thinking pancakes."

She looks at me, taken out of that little world of hers. I wonder what she's thinking about. Is it me? Is she thinking about that Neptune girl from earlier? It could be anything. Maybe one day she will trust me enough to tell me.

"Yeah," She answers politely, stepping out of my chair. "That sounds nice."

* * *

By now it doesn't surprise me when she offers to help. It's in her nature, and that makes me smile. I bet she makes for a great leader, being so thoughtful and all. Or maybe it's because she feels guilty as a guest, but I don't know for sure. I turned down her request to help.

As I slid the buttery batter onto the pan, Noire sat herself down in a chair with a sigh. She stared into the ceiling, probably thinking about something bad judging by her fixated expression.

"Are you alright Noire?" I ask, the sizzling batter forming a gentle backdrop.

"I'm a little worried about how I got here, that's all." She looked into my eyes with her own, fidgeting with her hands under the dining table. "I mean, you'd be a little freaked out if you suddenly appeared in a different dimension, right?"

"Oh yeah, that would be pretty freaky if you ask me." Elijah nodded, spatula in hand.

Noire was glad that someone understood her, cracking a smile. "I don't want to trouble you with anything at all, being honest, but I'm glad that you're helping me out."

"Hey, hey," The boy flipped a pancake, ideas bubbling into existence in both of their minds. "You can stop thanking me, really. I already said it was okay, and it's getting a bit sappy. But you were saying something about your world… right?"

"Oh!" Noire snapped, crossing her arms at her own mindlessness. "Yeah, yeah. Getting off track." She nodded. "I was going to ask, since you know your way around here better than I do, if you'd be so kind as to show me where I could do the most research. Do you have a library around here?"

Elijah flicked off the stove, the glowing red stovetop quickly cooling. With a pan of hot and sizzling edibles, he stepped over to the table. "Of course we have a library! And besides, you can use my computer at any time. I'll even make you your own user account if you'd like. And, well," He quieted down, a little shy, as he slipped the spatula beneath a pancake. "If you're going to be staying here for a bit, maybe you could consider more long-term things."

Noire huffed staring blankly at her plate. Even though home was so far away, working and getting things done was never far away. But that was to be expected, and that was not going to be an issue in the slightest. Maybe she could even pay her host for his kindness, after all, it would be the least she could do.

"I'm honestly not sure about anything at the moment." She looked up at the boy, who had tentatively stepped back with a curious expression. "But I can get sorted on my own. Thanks again for everything. I mean it."

"Well, that's what friends do. Help each other." The boy tugged at his collar for a moment as silence filled the room, the sizzling of pancakes muted by the fresh white of the clean plates they were placed on. He eased the pan back onto the stovetop as Noire looked at him, seemingly embarrassed.

 _Cute!_ He looked away with a violent flush of red spreading across his face. Silently gasping for air as inconspicuously as possible, he hoped that she didn't notice anything.

 _But... is she okay?_

"Friends?" Noire asked, the thousand yard stare embedded into her face. But she seemed okay to Elijah; she was speaking and that was better than the dreaded silent treatment.

"... Yeah…" He confirmed, his tongue crawling with unease. Are friendships a sore subject for her? Should he stay away from that word from now on? It's not unreasonable to think that leaders of countries would have trouble socially, so it makes sense that she might not be good with friends. _I guess…_

"Ah… yes." Noire blinked. "Yes! I mean, why else would I share secrets and you help me if we weren't, well…" She trailed off, the stare coming back to her. "Friends."

Elijah half-smiled and half-frowned. He wanted to say that this was awkward, but it really wasn't. Well, he had been in her situation a few times in the past.

So much to say but no words to speak. So much to think from and not quite sure where to start with someone who hasn't experienced what you have.

That might not be the exact form of sympathy he should be going for right now, but at least it was something. Right?

"C'mon Noire," Elijah teased, nabbing her shoulder with the blunt end of a fork. "Eat first, hard stuff like thinking can wait 'till _later_."

* * *

 **|~|~| Nick |~|~|**

 **The next day, Brighton High physics classroom.**

"So class, by solving for the coefficient of the cube root _f(x)_ we can find that physic square quadratic tangent spleen free-body newton four."

My physics teacher, Mr. Shevory, blurted out a half dozen numbers and letters meaning something about something but I really had no idea what he was talking about. The smartboard was covered in red ink, a testament to how quickly that guy writes. We were supposed to be reviewing homework, but I was just waiting to see if my answers matched his and completely ignoring the work he was making. Bad work ethics, yeah, but with my chin propped on my palm, I couldn't care less.

It was the first class of the day, and literally all the students were half-asleep. I'm not exaggerating here. Four guys in the front row have their heads on their desk, and the guy sitting in the desk to my right is on his phone, half a coffee just _gone_.

We've been in class for ten minutes and that guy just downed like all his damn coffee, but he's still drowsy. How the hell does that work?

"So if we multiply three over four by the imaginary number _i_ over seventy five thousand then we should be getting an idea of just how awesome physics is. Remember that if you accidentally get the logical sum of _Y^90x^2_ then you're wrong. That has something to do with the weight and mass, in caliphates, of the balance of forces in the high explosive rocket. Don't forget to carry the two."

He paused, looking away from the front board and at us. "Makes sense, right?" No one responded.

Hold on a second… my answer doesn't match his! What do I do? Let it slide and hope I don't make the same error on the test or ask a question? Fuck it.

I raised my hand.

"Yes, Nick?" He asks, pointing his red smartboard marker at me.

"I think you forgot the negative in the beginning. Also, caliphates are not a unit of measurement."

"Huh." He looked back at the board, then lowered his arms with a sigh.

Mr. Shevory doesn't give a shit and keeps teaching.

"Now, you all are going to get in groups and work on this sheet. If you don't know what these symbols mean then you're in for a rough ride. If you ask me a question, which I encourage, then I will call you out to the front of the class and make sure that people realize that you are the one who was too stupid to know what an imploding neutron star does in a frictionless environment with rockets being thrown at it, even though everyone is in the same boat as you are."

People groaned as chairs scraped against the floor. The trauma had begun.

"Thank you, Betsy Devos, for this bountiful school budget! God bless America! God bless the US public school system!" I imagined him shouting. Luckily he didn't say that out loud, but I'm sure that's what he wanted to say.

 _Happy monday, everyone!_

Fuck. What's a friction again?

* * *

 **Typical American lunchroom**.

"Fuck."

I groaned with my arms drooping at my sides, the sight of the monstrously immobile lunch line sending my stomach back to the dark ages.

With my backpack on my back, I decide not to die by lunch line and instead wait for later, when the line should die down.

I throw my heavy bag down on the ground haphazardly as I plop into a seat at a table. Hundreds upon hundreds of students surrounded me, swallowing mouthfuls of slop from the kitchen while others calmly ate sandwiches in silence, partial to the chaos of sound around them.

"Fuck." I dug my face into my palm, my elbows digging into the tabletop. "Fuuuuuuuuuuck."

"Oh hey Nick! Wazzap?" A friend of mine sits down next to me, a school lunch on his tray. I shirk away, the stench killing my lungs.

"Nothing much. How was AP Environmental Science?" I ask, eyelids drooping.

"Fucking kill me now!" He exclaimed, shoving some sort of food product into his mouth. "I hate everything! I cannot wait until I get home and have to study for hours on end in order to get the job I want! Halleluja!"

I smile. Some things never change.

Another friend of mine throws herself down across the table from me. She's visibly distraught, but shows no emotion on her face as she immediately pulls out a 01203797128763182903129 page textbook from her back. Her eyelids sag, colored black from a fun night of doing something relevant to her educational career.

"How are you doing?" I ask, my stomach grumbling. "Did you get enough sleep last night?"

She looks up at me with dead eyes. She has lost the battle.

"I stayed up to six trying to understand what Mr. Shevory assigned last night." She responded, melancholy.

"Six in the morning?"

She nods. Well, at least that was more than last week, if I remember correctly.

"Hey," I start, pointing at a page in her book. "The notes are on that page. You're good with the assigned theorem and its use in the seventeen equations we were given, right?"

She nods.

I continue, a little more enthusiastically than before. "That puts you in a good position to get a grasp on today's sheet he assigns. It has something to do with the impact enriched disulfide has on air resistance when the Ural mountains are multiplied by this formula." I start writing things down with her pencil on her notebook that was tucked inside her book. "He wants you to hold off on section 48."

"But don't you need that material to complete the question?" She asks, not wanting to hear the answer.

"Yes."

There's a pause before she pukes all over her book. "I'll be right back…" She mutters as she stumbles over to the restroom.

This has happened a few times before, so she should be okay on her own. Man, they say it gets harder when you become an adult, but hell, if that's true then I don't know what to do right now.

"Hey Nick!"

It's Elijah. In between his arms is a packed lunch, probably made by himself. What a kid. Kinda gets on my nerves sometimes when I think of how easy he has it. Sure, his parents are never around, but he's filthy rich.

"Hey." I mutter, forming a basket with my arms and tucking my face into their fold as I try to nap. My friend sitting next to me stands up, saying something about how the chicken parm is death incarnate.

He looks to his left and then to his right, scared. "Listen, I really need your help right now. Like big time." Elijah sits down next to me, gently placing his lunch on the table.

"What is it." I say without a change in tone.

"Noire… she… uh…" He stammers, but that name grabs my attention. I bring my head back up, a little dazed.

"What?" I push him to talk normally with my more demanding voice.

"She's following me around… I think I lost her, but it's freaking me out!"

I almost spit from a sudden burst of laughter. "She's following you?" It's hard to keep talking when I keep sputtering with laughter. "What the fuck?"

"Noire came to school saying she was an exchange student, which is bull. I don't know how, but she's pulling it off!" He gasps. "Oh no, there she is right now!"

"What?" I murmur with mild curiosity, turning my tired head to where Elijah is freaking out. "Oh… oh?"

Noire, wearing similar clothes to what she wore yesterday- that cosplay shit- strode right into the lunchroom with an aura of confidence I have never seen before in my whole life. Speaking Japanese.

* * *

 **Sorry for the slow updates, school and work have grabbed by by the throat.**

 **There's probably mistakes here, sue me, I know.**

 **Also, about the school bit... I hope it's enjoyable. I had a laugh writing it.**


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